The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and relevant links.

Lake Vanda in Antarctica

The above Landsat satellite image features Lake Vanda, which is located in the central region of Wright Valley in Antarctica -- flanked by the Transantarctic Mountains. This frozen lake is approximately 3 miles (5 km) long and up to 250 feet (76 m) deep in places. While the surface waters of Lake Vanda are perennially ice-covered, a thermal inversion caused by the hypersaline nature of the deeper water enables water temperatures to reach nearly 80° F (27 C) at the lake's bottom! Lake Vanda has no outlet to the sea but is fed by the Onyx River, Antarctica's longest river (~19 miles or 30 km). During the short summer season, the Onyx carries glacial meltwater to Lake Vanda.